Lettings latest: British Council downsizes; Downing sees demand for Flexi-Offices
THE British Council has downsized at Bruntwood’s Bridgewater House in Manchester.
The council, which promotes British culture and education overseas, previously occupied 66,000 sq ft over three floors at the 200,000 sq ft building in Whitworth Street. It has swapped this space for 22,000 sq ft on the sixth floor.
The move reflects the organisation’s desire to rationalise office space and make more use of technology.
Angela Gibbins, the British Council’s head of global estates, said: “The British Council has recognised the need to work smarter and more cost effectively. The key to this is creating a flexible working environment for all our staff members throughout our five UK offices.
“We have made a significant commitment in Manchester to our dedicated workforce by investing in the refurbishment of Bridgewater House’s sixth floor. With efficiency at the heart of the refurbishment we have upgraded our mobile technologies and supported our staff in migrating to new ways of working.”
The agency was advised by CBRE. Associate director Oliver Thomas said: “The British Council has taken a bold step forward in changing the environment in which staff work, and CBRE has supported the process by providing technical advice from inception until completion while up against tight timescales and budgetary constraints. The refurbishment has been received positively by staff members who have settled quickly into the agile working environment.
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LIVERPOOL property group Downing has secured four new lettings in the past month at its Flexi-Offices sites.
Architectural visualisation studio Shove Media and Brand Consult have each taken 280 sq ft at The Portal suite in the Port of Liverpool,
Healthcare agency Servoca Nursing & Care and recruitment consultants Reed have both signed leases at Victoria House on James Street taking 754 sq ft and 417 sq ft respectively.
Downing says its Flexi-Offices fill the gap between fully serviced offices and the traditional leasing of a suite. The scheme has been rolled-out across its Liverpool portfolio including Federation House on Hope Street and 1 Old Hall Street.
Robin Ellis, senior agency surveyor at Downing, said: “Our new Flexi-Offices have proven to be a real hit in the city, particularly with start-up companies and SMEs which appreciate the simplicity and flexibility of this product.
“We can offer companies a fully-inclusive monthly rent, but without any of the expensive add-ons that can later surprise and sting occupiers once they have signed up to a serviced office package. The recent spate of lettings in the Flexi-Office suites is testament to the high-quality and outstanding value for money space we can offer.”
